A Picatinny rail (MIL-STD-1913), which is also sometimes called a tactical rail is a standard bracket that is used on some firearms that provides a standardized mounting platform for accessories. Picatinny rails are used on many different types of firearms and were originally designed for mounting scopes. However, the rails are useful for mounting any number of different types of accessories, including but not limited to accessories such as optics, sighting telescopes, laser aiming modules, thermal imaging devices, night vision devises, knives, cameras, flashlights, foregrips, bipods, bayonets, and the like. Picatinny rails are used on many firearms, including innumerable types of rifles, and pistols.
The rail is a longitudinal member that is mounted to the weapon. The rail includes opposed side edges with a specific configuration and a series of ridges extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the member; each ridge is separated from adjacent ridges with a spacing slot. The rails have very standardized size and spacing specifications.
There are numerous ways to mount a Picatinny rail to a firearm, depending to an extent on the specific firearm and stock. In many cases, the Picatinny rail is an integral and standard part of the firearm that is added by the manufacturer. Moreover, regardless of the manner of attachment, one or more Picatinny rails may be mounted to a firearm. For instance, three and sometimes four rails may be mounted at approximately 90 degree positions around the barrel and stock. Generally speaking, the Picatinny rail provides a very stable mounting platform that tends to dissipate heat as the barrel heats and cools, and therefore tends to not flex.
There are also many types of mounting devices designed for Picatinny rails. The mounting device provides an interface between an accessory device such as those mentioned above, and the rail, and attaches the accessory to the rail. The mounting apparatus typically spans the width of the rail and in some manner attaches to the opposed longitudinal edges of the rail, and has some kind of mechanism that locates the mounting apparatus relative to the transverse ridges. The mounting devices also include some kind of securing system by which the mounting device is secured to the rail, typically with some kind of quick release mechanism that enables the mounting device, and the accessory that is attached to it, to be quickly mounted to and released from the rail and thus the firearm.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,272,904 describes an Adjustable Throw-Lever Picatinny Rail Clamp that utilizes a throw-lever releasable mounting system. Another example of a mounting device for a Picatinny rail is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,814,698, Connecting Pieces for Weapon Rails.
A closely associated and similar rail is known as the Weaver rail. A Weaver rail is structurally very similar to the Picatinny rail, but the transverse ridges of a Weaver rail are different from the Picatinny rail. Generally speaking, therefore, the present invention is a device to provide a mounting interface between a mounting rail—such as for example the Picatinny and Weaver rails—and an accessory device that is to mounted to the mounting rail. The term weapon rail is therefore used at times to refer generically to these types of mounting rails, although the rails are not limited to use with weapons.
Despite the mounting devices shown and described in the two patents just mentioned, there is a need for an improved and robust mounting apparatus for the Picatinny rail system.
The present invention relates to an improved design for a mounting apparatus for use with Picatinny rails and which is used to mount accessories to firearms. The mounting apparatus is quickly secured to and removed from a Picatinny rail and provides a highly secure and stable mount for accessories. When the mount of the present invention is used to mount an accessory that requires or benefits from a sighting zero, the present invention allows the accessory to be removed and replaced from the Picatinny rail repeatedly without affecting the preset sighting zero of the accessory.